Thousands Protest Pension Reform Plan in France

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 180 French cities yesterday to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to overhaul the national pension system, reports Press TV.

On Tuesday, teachers, postal employees and transportation workers stayed home from work to register their discontent with job cuts and government plans to reform the pension system.

The protests come as Sarkozy is pushing ahead with plans to reform France's pension system under which the number of years workers have to contribute before qualifying for a full pension will increase.

Meanwhile, the French president rejected claims that he had plans to cut pensions, saying the payouts were already too low.

The French Interior Ministry put the number of protesters nationwide at 380,000, while trade unions said some 800,000 participated in the demonstrations.

The French government, seeking to address the country's budget deficit, wants people to work longer before drawing full pensions and is likely to push for a rise in the retirement age.

The retirement age currently stands at 60 in France which is one of the lowest levels among leading European Union countries.

Meanwhile, some union leaders said the rallies were not only in protest at the pension reform, but also for job security, working conditions and better wages.